This was so good! I love Debbie Macomber’s books. There is so much going on that most of us can relate to. Families are complicated and complex and she brings that through in her stories. 

If you come from a divorced family or are a divorcee then you might relate to this story. With my family, I recall someone having some crazy divorces and relationships that came after that was hard on the family. I definitely find this book realistically portrayed. 

Julia meets a charming man, Heath, after her life feel apart 6 years ago when her husband had an affair. When she meets Heath, a kind man with a similar relationship with his ex, she is finally moving on with her life and enjoying herself. That is until his son’s find out who he’s seeing. 

They will have to work to bring their families together if they ever hope to make this love between them work. They each love their grown children deeply but will they be able to choose between a happy, healthy, loving relationship and their children’s opinions? 

This kept me hanging on til the end. I think the epilogue wrapped it up nicely.

Debbie Macomber has written another wonderful and wholesome read. Julia and Heath have both been divorced for 6 years. Both of their spouses were having affairs when they requested a divorce. Neither one of them were seeking to date and enjoyed being good friends…until they both realized they had found love with one another.

What follows is a family drama that is full of family issues, previous spouse issues, and so many other issues that it is a wonder that any relationship, including theirs, could survive.

Many of the issues are very relatable, especially those of the children of each couple. They are hurt, angry and having a hard time figuring their own lives out as young adults when divorce created multiple issues for all the children involved.

As a child whose parents got divorced at about the age of the four kids, planning a wedding and many other issues made me relate to Hillary in many ways. While I didn’t have the issue so much with my parents, it was the suddenness of change and how quickly it felt they had met that other person. (In reality it wasn’t super fast, but I still could related to her character.). All of the characters were relatable as were most of the storylines.

I always enjoy reading Debbie Macomber novels as they are always enjoyable and have interesting character and storylines. When you want an enjoyable novel with a wonderful message, “It’s Better This Way,” is s novel you will enjoy reading.

Rating: 4.0
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**I read an advanced copy of this novel. All thoughts, words, and opinions are mine only.

While I prefer Macomber's Christmas books, I enjoy her summer books enough to keep picking them up. And I'm glad I did because of all of her summer books that I've read It's Better This Way is my favorite.

As has become standard for her summer books, It's Better This Way features a divorced woman who has grown children. But what I found different about Julia was that she was happy being on her own. She was devasted by her divorce, but it has been six years and she feels life is good. While she would like to have a companion to go to dinner or the movies with, the dating disasters she has experienced has her feeling that being single is better. I appreciated that she wasn't a "woe is me" woman.

Just because she doesn't care to be set up on any more dates by well-meaning friends and family, it doesn't mean she won't find love. It's the classic case of when you are looking for it, you find it. And that is what happens when she changes her workout time to the mornings and finds an older, good-looking, man in the condominium's gym. Heath has also experienced a number of dating disasters since his divorce six years earlier and the two of them ignore each other for a couple of week's and then it is just to introduce themselves. After a coincidental meeting at the local coffee shop, where they bond over their dating disasters, they find that maybe they aren't as closed to the thought of dating as they thought.

I immediately liked Julia and Heath. I really liked Carrie, too, who provided a younger romantic storyline (seriously her story could have been its own story though it probably would fit better with Macomber's Christmas books which often feature younger characters).

Of course, there has to be a stumbling block to the budding romance. I saw it coming and I thought "wouldn't it be funny if" but dismissed it as being too obvious and rather silly. Then, behold, I turn the page and that is exactly what threatens their relationship. For those not fond of the drawn-out separation, you don't have to worry here. While it is a few days for the character it is just a few pages for the reader.

Overall, it was a fun novel - one that I looked forward to reading each afternoon. It is also incredibly easy to lose track of time while reading and I stayed up past my bedtime each night (thankfully it was the weekend, but it did leave me exhausted for the start of the week).

My review will be published on Friday, July 23 at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/07/its-better-this-way-by-debbie-macomber.html

Debbie Jack her has written an outstanding "second love" story. How do you make the new love feel part of a family with adult children? Wonderfully written with fantastic characters. Debbie will take you on a carousel of new beginnings to enjoy from the first page to the last.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

It’s Better This Way by Debbie Macomber is a very well written story that I finished in one reading. Debbie’s books are a comfortable to read and I am always happy when I complete the story. There was plenty harmony, as well as drama. The characters were well developed as well as the storyline. Great story that I highly recommend!
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy of this wonderful story.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I first found Debbie Macomber about 20 years ago when we moved to Washington (state) and I discovered she is a local author. Her books aren't really my type of thing - I don't generally go for Hallmark movies and romance, but when I'm feeling a bit down or just need a change in my reading, I often look for one of her books. I haven't read them all, but have read many.

Overall, this was a cute book, I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't one of my favorite's of Macomber's. It felt like it was a bit rushed and there seemed to be quite a bit of re-telling. I'm hoping the editors fixed that before the actual publication.

3 stars because I did enjoy it, but was a bit disappointed in the overall story.

'It's Better This Way' is a thoughtful book that explores the dynamics of second relationships that include children and exes. Debbie Macomber treats it in an explosive, humorous and poignant manner. I have never read a book by this author that disappoints, and this is no exception.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Debbie Macomber’s books are always enjoyable. Great character, great storylines and little twists. This book is no different! A perfect book for vacation or staycation. You become totally immersed in Julie’s life. I love reading about more mature characters, strong and independent in their own right, not looking for someone to complete them. Julie and Heath are instantly likable and relatable. Even, the odd set of circumstances they find themselves in. Both are navigating how to have a personal relationship without grown children interfering while also being there for them as parents. Fairly predictable, but enjoyable all the same. A great reading escape.

Julie is semi-retired from a successful design company built from the ground up, and well past her devastating divorce. She’s enjoying her life, her two grown daughters, and loving her new condo. She meets Heath, divorced with two sons, by chance at the gym. One thing leads to another and they find a spark. All is going well, until an unexpected and uncomfortable situation arises that could tear them apart. Are they parents first…or should this relationship special enough to put first?

Thanks to Ms. Macomber, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I enjoyed this book so much. Themes of moving on, letting go and forgiveness prevail. The main character goes through a divorce and after some years, despite her desire not to meet someone new, she randomly meets Heath in the fitness center. A secret regarding their families may threaten to tear their union apart. Throw in the mix their adult children and things get complicated. I loved this book and how it centers around more mature characters..

The premise for It's Better This Way is interesting. Macomber captured humanity in a realistic way. The romance in the story is sweet, even with the ups and downs. And family dynamics made the book a page-turner.. I've read many of Macomber's books, and I enjoy when she features more mature characters as the heroines and heroes. The setting is fun and the characters are believable. If you enjoy women's fiction with a splash of romance, you'll like this story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It’s Better This Way is the summer 2021 offering by prolific author Debbie Macomber. After a 30+ year marriage, Julia Jones finds herself on the wrong end of divorce papers. Her Eddie has found someone new and although she does everything in her power to save her marriage and keep her family together it’s to no avail. And what hurts her heart even more is the big blowup between Eddie’s new wife and her sons and their daughters which leads to Hillary and Marie also shutting Eddie out.

Move forward six years. Julia has come to terms with what has happened, lives in her lovely condo near Pike’s Place, and has sold her design business while maintaining design consulting opportunities. With her new schedule, Julia has altered her workout routine in the building’s gym. She is none too happy to have a fit male contemporary in her space, but for a couple of weeks they silently share the space until the day Heath introduces himself. Over the next little while they find themselves talking during workouts, spurring each other on to improve. From here they meet for coffee then outings, and so on.

After years of warding off well meaning friends and relatives, both Julia and Heath find themselves in a budding relationship neither was seeking. His story is pretty much like hers, only it was his wife who cheated and he has two sons. But little did they know the obstacles that they would encounter!

This is a lovely story with surprising twists. It is so refreshing to find such a story written with 50 something main characters. I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Debbie Macomber is one of those authors that I discovered a little later in her career but after reading several of her books I want to go back and read everything of hers. Well, as most of your readers know there’s way too many books and not enough time to get to all of them so I haven’t been able to pick up all of her many titles but I do get excited every time I get a new one so of course I had to read It’s Better This Way.

It’s Better This Way is a standalone contemporary romance that features a more mature protagonist. Julia Jones had been married once, that is until her husband cheated on her and left for the other woman. Julia had done everything she possibly could to save her marriage but in the end it just wasn’t meant to be. Now six years later Julia has settled into her single life much with the help of her two wonderful daughters.

After the divorce Julia had moved into a condominium and sold her business so now in her new retired life she has taken up the habit of working out in the community gym. One day as Julia enters for her workout she finds a new neighbor already there, Heath Johnson. After a few times of crossing paths Heath introduces himself and the two become fast friends with both having a lot in common including being sure they aren’t interested in more than friendship after rough divorces.

It’s Better This Way was another lovely read from Debbie Macomber as I just knew it would be. I loved that this romance followed an older, more mature character and just fell in love with the relationship as it grew. This would probably have been a five star read had it not been for a few unlikable characters in the background, I just didn’t understand their actions. As always though I loved the rest of the story and the character growth for a lot of the characters along the way and I will be in line once again for the next book from this author.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Your typical Debbie Macomber book. But that's ok. In a stressful world, its good to have something reliable and comforting. Always a fan of hers.

It's Better This Way by Debbie Macomber is the lukewarm story of a family torn apart by divorce. When Eddie tells Julie that their marriage is over, she is devastated and does everything she can to save the marriage, but once she discovers that he's been having an affair, she realizes that there's nothing she can do and reluctantly let's him go. Fast forward six years and she meets a handsome, also divorced man in her new apartment building and after spending some time with him, agrees to date him and they fall in love. However, their children make things very difficult for them and it looks like they won't survive without their children's support.

I used to love reading Ms. Macomber's novels, they were always heartfelt and beautifully written. That being said, the last few, including this one have been very flat for me. I feel as if the story is being told, but without the storytelling that always kept me interested and made me a fan. It almost seems as if she is giving the general outline of a story to someone and they are writing it for her.. The novels just don't sound like her anymore and they don't grab and hold my attention as they once did.

thank you to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

Julia Jones thought she and her husband were the best kind of partners, until he came home and told her he was leaving her for another woman. She fought hard to keep her marriage, but there wasn't a whole lot of hope of success when she was the only one fighting. Signing the divorce papers ended 31 years of being Eddie's wife, but it started a war that their adult daughters kept alive with their father and the "other woman". Six years have passed and the girls have had basically no contact with their father, mostly because he INSISTS on including his new wife in any interactions. To top it off, both girls absolutely HATE her sons, who HATE them right back. Is it really better this way?

Six years down the line and Julia is now settled. She had to sell the home she loved as part of the divorce settlement, but she found a condominium that immediately felt like home. As an interior decorator, she has made it hers. Nearing her 60th birthday, Julia has sold her successful interior design business and cut back her working hours to those of a consultant. She's convinced that her life is full and she doesn't need a man to make her complete, in spite of what her family thinks. Then one morning, she steps into the condo's exercise room where a handsome man is already using the room. As they workout side-by-side, exercise leads to coffee leads to dinner leads to more. Is she willing to risk her heart again for this man?

Heath Wilson has also been alone for six years. Moving into the condo was pure luck, as far as he was concerned. Meeting Julia, however, that has been fantastic. He never though exercising could be the brightest spot in his day until she changed her schedule. Finding a woman who "gets" him and makes him feel again is way more than he ever expected. Could she be the one?

As Julia and Heath get to know one another, the more they learn, the more they like, until one day Heath's son sees her and instantly shows animosity toward her. His revelation to his father throws more than just a wrench in the works. It's the whole toolbox! Can these two fight both of their families to win a love neither saw coming?

Debbie Macomber writes some of the most emotional fiction out there, and this one was another doozy! Pretty sure I went through half a box of Kleenex at one point, so be prepared. This is a story about forgiveness, about the pain of divorce, and about second chances. I highly, highly recommend!

It’s Better This Way by Debbie Macomber has Julia Jones meeting Heath Wilson in the exercise room of her building six years after her divorce. They start out as friends since both have had disastrous dates since their marriages ended. As time passes, Julia and Heath fall in love. An astonishing discovery threatens to ruin their bright future. It’s Better This Way is well-written (as always) with realistic characters. The story moves along at a good pace. I liked that the Heath and Julia are older protagonists. I thought they were realistic characters especially with regard to their emotions. A family situation has emotions running high as well as tension. The situations were representative of real-life, but I did find it to be predictable. I loved the side story involving Julia’s niece, Carrie and building resident, Eric. I would have liked that to be its own separate story (maybe a short e-book). Carrie was a great character and I wanted to get to know her more along with Eric. I appreciated the epilogue that nicely wrapped up It’s Better This Way. You get to see why when things work out a certain way that “It’s better this way”. I was surprised to discover that there is some mild foul language in the story. This is something that I never thought I would see in a book by Debbie Macomber. I enjoyed the descriptions of Seattle especially of the building where Julia and Heath resided. It’s Better This Way is a sweet, feel good tale. It is perfect for summer when you are looking for lighter fare to read.

This is my first Debbie Macomber book and I can promise you now that it won’t be my last! I enjoyed her writing style so much! This particular book follows Julia, a divorced mom of two grown daughters. She has all but given up on love when she becomes friendly with Heath, her neighbor. Heath seems to good to be true and I enjoyed seeing their story play out. It isn’t easy to be divorced with baggage and date someone else with baggage is tough. I really enjoyed their story and can’t wait to pick up some other Macomber books!

This book had an interesting premise and had me eagerly turning the pages. When a woman has been divorced (very unhappily at the time) for six years and wants nothing to do with a relationship, but then keeps spending more and more time with a man she meets, what is she supposed to do? Does she let it become a relationship, or does she just back away? What if he doesn't want a relationship either? What in the world do they do when things become even more complicated and threaten their relationships with their children?

Julia's outlook: "This is something I learned from my father. He was the one who assured me when life turned bleak and I couldn't see anything good coming out of it. He'd tell me: It's better this way." Is it always? Sometimes you have to fight to get the right outcome.


This was a multi-faceted book about relationships. There are so many different types of relationships going on in this book! Macomber wove them all together in a way that leaves you super glad if your real life isn't that complicated. Wow! She does it in a way that reassures, as she always does, that love will conquer all. An easy, heartwarming read!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

This was a really emotional story about people working through hurts that divorces can bring. Divorce and remarriages too.
I liked that although Julia and Heath were NOT looking for a new partner, they still found each other. Turns out that was the easy part, as hard as new beginnings could be. I liked how Julia and Heath came together and they were such a better fit than their previous spouses. It's the "kids" that are causing so many additional hurts. Julia and her ex-Eddie were moving forward but they overestimated their children's ability. It was a good point that because they were adult children, both sides assumed it would make things easier for them.
I do have to say, that Eddie was one stubborn dude who kept messing things up even when he was trying to re-build bridges with his "girls". I felt that Julia had the patience of a saint when it came to him.
I liked how things are starting to look up for everyone as they continued to work things through.
I like it when the title of a book fits with actual parts of a book and this one does. That phrase shows up more than once in explainable ways.

"I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

#BookReview: IT'S BETTER THIS WAY by Debbie Macomber

I didn’t expect to like this book. I prefer new and young romance. Julia and Heath are both advanced in age and divorced. I was drawn to Julia’s life and how she moved on. I followed their first meeting until it progressed to coffee dates. I thought that was it but I couldn’t put it down as a twist in the story came and then another. These two families have gone through a lot. One mistake can lead to a lot of consequences. I realized that we sometimes focus on the divorced couple during these hard times. But the kids, no matter the age, are always affected. I am glad things turned out well for these families but oh my they went through a lot of heartache. I laughed and cried with them. I pray for all families. If you like family drama and clean romance, this one’s for you. 4 stars

Thank you to Ballantine books and netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.